Life is full.

No one would argue that point. How do we fit God in to the craziness of the day to day? That is the perpetual question. We desire to know God more but where do we start in the midst of an already full life? Our suggestion–take one day at a time. At the same time, nothing happens without a plan. None of us sit on our couch and realize, “I have 15 minutes with nothing I can do. I think I will spend time reading the Bible and praying.” That just doesnt happen. So, we need to make a plan. For one week, make a plan for a time to spend with Him. Start small. Just take the 5 minutes in the morning before you head out the door, the 2 minutes you have in the bathroom to yourself or the 15 minutes before you head to bed.

What am I going to do?

After you make your plan, you wonder, so, what am I going to do? What does it mean to “spend time with God?” The purpose of spending time with God is to get to know Him, to build a relationship. Just like you spend time with your spouse, children, roomates, friends or neighbors. You spend time together and as you do, you get to know each other more and find out what you enjoy doing together. That is what it means to spend time with God–you are getting to know Him.

How do you do that? You pray and read the Bible. God has revealed Himself and His character in His Word. It is rich and full. Check out the concordance for topical studies, read about Christ’s life, do some follow up on the sermon from Sunday. Grab a great devotional book and let it guide you. You know you have a good devotional book if it gets you in to Scripture-that is what is most important. As for prayer, prayer is merely telling God your heart. The Psalms tell us to pour out our hearts before Him. It is just talking with God. Ask Him the tough questions, just dialogue together. Journaling is a good way to get things out of your head and on to paper, helping to make sense.

Try a “taste.”

God challenges us in Psalm 34:8 “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” and that is what we challenge you with. Give Him a few minutes of you being real as you share your heart and give Him time to respond through His Word. That is what “taste” means. Then, as you taste you will soon want to dine with Him more often because He is so full of love and desire for you and that will come out as you invite Him in to your day. The more time you spend with Him, the more you learn of Him and of yourself. Both with cause you to desire more of Him. He is so good. He is so personal and the best part, He is always waiting for you. He is the lover of your soul, waiting for you to invite Him in.

We have compiled a few books and devotionals below that have been rich resources in the lives of the Women’s Ministry Team. Take a peak and see if any interest you. If not, look for something that will meet you right where you are, what you are struggling with, a place of pain or a source of joy. His Word has something for every up and down of life. He desires to reveal Himself to you. He is knocking and all you must do is open the door and invite Him in. Get ready, God is waiting to do great things. He wants to get to know YOU.

Enjoy the adventure,
The Women’s Ministry Team

Recommended Resources

Echoes of Eternity - Listening to the Father by Hal Helms

“Our oldest Christian traditions invite us to listen as well as speak when we pray, yet often ‘the still, small voice of God seems barely audible, drowned out by the many cares and concerns of the day.” (from back cover of book).

This devotional is one I can use even on those days where I can’t take the time I’d like to sit in God’s presence, to study or to read but I want to center my thoughts on Christ and hear from His heart. There are 365 brief (a paragraph or two) mediations, each containing a Scripture verse and encouraging words that speak of Christ as our anchor, the treasure of God’s love, and His lasting peace.

You Set My Spirit Free - A 40-Day Journey in the Company of John of the Cross - Arranged and paraphrased by David Hazard

“John of the Cross (1542-1591) was one of the brightest spiritual lights of the dark and tumultuous 1500s. His teachings led thousands to inner freedom from ‘the dark night of the soul’ - the state of spiritual blindness in which most of us live our days, unaware that God is right beside us, in love, in freeing power. Through great opposition and danger, John taught countless men and women how to find freedom in the Spirit.”

David Hazard’s paraphrased editions of Christian classic writings are a great way to benefit from their profound wisdom. The forty devotionals in this book will lead you to: a fresh infilling of the love of the Father; renewed wonder at the beauty and holiness of Jesus; the discovery of the Holy Spirit’s constant presence.

Essential Truths of the Christian Faith by R. C. Sproul.

He takes 100 doctrines and gives a 2 or 3 page synopsis on each and gives scripture references which always sends me into the bible and one thing leads to another…….its an AWESOME book and my favorite!

Prayer: The Great Conversation - Straight Answers to Tough Questions About Prayer by Peter Kreeft

Great book about the basics of prayer! It’s written as a dialog between between teacher and student which gives it a unique feel. Peter Kreeft is Catholic and as you read the book, you will definitely pick up on that. It was great for me, a non-Catholic with some questions about some of the traditional Catholic prayers, to read and gain some understanding about that issue. With that said, it was one of the best books I’ve read to help me understand the “discipline” of prayer - some of the why, how, when, what questions that we all have. I’ve been a Christian for decades and have been praying all my life and I found this book to be helpful and inspiring in growing my understanding and practice of prayer. I’ve also recommended this book to people who were just beginning their adventure in prayer.

Lord, I want to Know You by Kay Arthur.

This is a study on the names of God. So much of our pain and confusion results because we don’t know God–who He really is, how He works in our lives. As you study His names, that will change. The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and they are safe—Prov.18:10 This is a deeply insightful study of the Scriptures and promises to be life-changing as you learn more of who God is and how He has revealed Himself in Scripture.

The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices that Transform Us by Adele Ahlberb Calhoun

Fasting. Solitude. Contemplative prayer. Have you heard about these practices and wanted to try them? Have you wandered from one practice to another not sure quite what to do? Are you overwhelmed by all the to-dos of your spiritual life? This book gives us directions for our journey toward intimacy with Christ

Diapers, Pacifiers, and other Holy Things by Lorraine Pintus

Warning: THis is NOT another how-to-be-a-better-mom book, full of lists and impossible goals. This books is for every mother who has cried out to God because she doesn’t spend time with Him, every woman who needs to be reminded she is valuable, who wants to laugh or cry over the ups and downs of life with preschoolers and every mother who enjoys their child but just needs a break.

Devotional Classics, Edited by Richard Foster and James Bryan Smith

Foster and Smith sift through works from the great spiritual writers of the past as well as readings from contemporary spiritual leaders to create a guide that is indispensable for those looking for a deeper and more balanced spiritual life. This book is rich with Scripture, practical applications and questions for further study. If you are looking for some in-depth thoughts on areas such as prayer, virtues, Spirit empowerment, Word-centered, compassionate and the sacramental life….this is the book for you.